Le marché de Place du Châtelain, Bruxelles

Every Wednesday afternoon, rain or shine, from 1 to 7:30pm, there's an outdoor market where you will find everything from flowers, olives, dried meats from cypress, quiche, pastry, loads of wine, and a amazing variety of homemade ethnic food (Thai, Moroccan, Vietnamese, etc.) all in a gorgeous setting.  Just outside of Brussels (like a kilometer) Rue du Châtelain is a small, little road lined with awesome little bistros, homes, and outdoor cafes.

This weekly market is one of the reasons I love Brussels.

Everything, from the artichokes that are the size of my daughter's skull to the small, juicy strawberries to the people to the animated conversations to the outdoor sophistication.  No fried dough here.  No.  Just a bunch of Bruxellois and me, in my glory.

When we arrived, I finally embraced the good fortune we have of being here as a family.  I could go all nonchalant, like none of it's a big deal, been here before or ho-hum or even cynical but the fact is, I'm elated.  I'm over-the-moon with joy that my family and I are getting another piece of European action.

And more importantly, that I get another chance to take a bunch of stealth photos of what I find beautiful here.